The Vampire Diaries: Breaking Dawn 1: The Arrival
by AshleyNicoleKNX
Summary: I knew when I left the Confederacy that any hope for tolerance was a lost cause. We were more than hated, we were hunted as Vampires; the human founder's condemned us to death. Why my Coven chose not to retaliate is a mystery to me. Now they will suffer as I have for over 145 years without my love, & when I am through with them, they will beg for death as I once had for mercy.
1. 0 Back Cover Page

_Please be aware that I do not own the rights to any character, or presented plot-line that pertains to the Vampire Diaries. In no way am I at this time affiliated with the CW Network, LLC, its affiliates, employees, or producers of the show. This story is written with respect in mind to L.J Smith, and the current script writers of the Vampire Diaries. (7 USC § 107)3_

_ I ask for your respect and a courtesy of acknowledgement if my work inspires you._

_Consider this the back cover page…_

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**_The Vampire Diaries: Breaking Dawn: The Arrival_**

_I knew when I left the Confederacy that any hope for tolerance was a lost cause. We were more than hated, we were hunted as Vampires; the human founder's condemned us to death. Why my Coven chose not to retaliate is a mystery to me. Now they will suffer as I have for over 145 years without my love, & when I am through with them, they will beg for death as I once had for mercy…_

__Damon Salvatore, once an aristocratic human born during the Italian Renaissance has a past full of abandonment, abuse, emotional masochism, and regrets alongside issues that unfold as his story goes on to reveal how over the centuries he has become who he is.

While you learn of Damon's past, you also experience his present time arrival in Mystic Falls at the start of September 2009; he is in Mystic Falls to free his centuries time beloved Catherine Nicolette von Pierce/Schwarzschild lost to him for 145 years and throughout this time his brother Stefan is his not antagonist, which is the Founder's Council as much as he is a distraction.

-Another distraction is Elena Gilbert whose parent's died four months ago in a car accident that she only survived because of Stefan who saved her life. Even with her partial descent to Catherine, her compassion and enlightenment she brings into the Salvatore brothers lives might not be enough for Damon to forgive that she truly and always will be a full blooded Founder.

**Is everything all for nothing; for Damon Salvatore, will history keep repeating itself?**

**How many times can Damon lose the ones he loves before he loses himself forever to his darkest desires?**

**_'What I have done is what comes naturally to me because I am a murderer, predator, a Vampire…'_**

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_~Please read my Profile page for any explanations of this Vampire Diaries verse.~_


	2. Prologue - Revere

_Please be aware that I do not own the rights to any character, or presented plot-line that pertains to the Vampire Diaries. In no way am I at this time affiliated with the CW Network, LLC, its affiliates, employees, or producers of the show. This story is written with respect in mind to L.J Smith, and the current script writers of the Vampire Diaries. (7 USC § 107)3_

_ I ask for your respect and a courtesy of acknowledgement if my work inspires you. _

_ -Aspects from the novels will more so pertain to this story by character details, and history. Aspects from the TV series will more so pertain to this story by plot-line._

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The Vampire Diaries: Breaking Dawn: The Arrival

Prologue: Reverie

**_To You My Love, _**

**_We always knew I was meant to die; I am ready to die, to let you be human. After this dawn breaks, once you awaken to find my diary beneath the white oak tree that overlooks these waters know I chose to die once more, and only for you._**

**_Love,_**

**_Catherine Nicolette von Pierce. _**

_~Turn a single page from the bindings of an old diary, and onto the next~_

**_Dear Diary, _**

**_ This is my première. I never did care to write before, and as I will now I know it because I need this to record, to remember myself in each moment to be sure I stay as I am now; I deserve to be alive. There is no sense, no reason to feel fear or hatred for what I may become. _**

**_ Since my birth, my body has fed upon itself in a slow death; Vampirism, is this a cure or curse? At first my choice was life, death or a chance at a cure and now that my first death has come to me by force my next choice will be an eternity of Vampirism or another death. _**

**_ I was ready to die; I died in the hold of my lover's arms, the sweetest death I could ask for and now my selfish fear of death itself is the reason I hesitate to choose death once again. _**

**_Will he forgive me if I return, and make him choose his humanity over an eternity with me? Already my body craves life; somehow, even from so far away my Love's heartbeat is within my ears. For how long will I resist, deny his veins that would bring me to life at the cost of his soul?_**

**_ I have made my choice, not whether I should live or die yet but that I cannot live without him. My choice is not my own to make; he owns my heart, and it is his to keep, rest in peace, or break. _**

- **_Catherine Nicolette von Pierce_**

__

~End of the first diary entry of Catherine~

Over, and over again from within this place that has been my home since the 1860's I reread this diary on the first of September, only a month before this diary was written nearly five hundred years ago. From my bedroom's open doors to my terrace, I know that autumn will be beautiful here in Virginia.

Mystic Falls is my first home since Europe; it is the first place my family has ever been one. Infamous, the Salvatore's Boarding house is a stronghold to the past; these people, their ancestors tried to destroy my family, my coven friend's, and has since 1864 locked away some of them still to this day beneath the old Church that I saved because my love, my C..Katherine is in there as well.

Katherine, the last I saw her she was bedridden, comatose in guilt. We, my father, brother and I only wanted her to see that we were a family again so that she would return to life, to me. Everything was fine when we wrote her, we lived through the Civil War as Founders of our home in peace; I knew when I left the Confederacy that my Coven's hope for tolerance was a lost cause, and that we would be hated.

We were more than hated, we were hunted; the human founder's condemned us to death. Why my father along with my Coven chose to let those captured die, to not retaliate is still a mystery to me. The descendants of these humans will suffer, as I have for over 145 years of this loneliness and regret. Only Emily Benet, the witch who protected those I care for knows that we kept them safe; they are beneath the Church in a tomb, and on the night of the Comet with a Benet Witch they will be set free.

If that fails, then I already have the Grimoire that will undo the Benet spell, and to keep my promise to Emily I will sacrifice another bloodline to open the tomb. I have to be patient, and keep calm. Doubting plan A, B, C and every other strategy I have will give Stefan a reason to be suspicious.

Hearing my blood brother's heartbeat rise assures me he still doesn't know I am here, not yet.

Hopefully this distraction from the girl he saved months ago, Elena Gilbert, a descendant of Katherine's half-sister should keep him occupied at least until, forever. I wish I knew for sure whether Stefan was still in love with Katherine, or if it was only ever the idea of being in love.

When were human, Stefan suffered from ill health and was desperate for any sort of affection. Although I tried, I couldn't give Stefan everything he needed, and I knew as soon as Katherine began to care for him that he would soon obsess over her as he did anyone who was kinder than our father.

For years, I hated my father but now I understand him more than I ever thought possible.

Love is fatal, an emotion that is a cannibal to Vampires; we can survive forever, some even through a ground zero nuclear explosion with a basic sunlight amulet of protection, and yet we are slaves to our emotions. Apathy is all we have to shield ourselves from our misery, and then all we are is hungry for every comfort that we can find to sate the emotions we struggle to keep at bay.

It is a strain, but I can control my apathy now; my only obstacle left is that when I see Katherine again, I don't know whether I will be able to love her. Most of my emotions I only know them from my memories, but I hope once I see her that I will feel them all once again.

Desire, hunger, and pain are all emotions I feel I still have.

As my muscles spasm, I feel my lungs strain for the oxygen I can't intake; my jaw aches as my gums begin to chaff while my own saliva turns into a metallic, a sweet venom more potent then blood itself.

Closing the leather bound diary, I shut the fresh air away as I turn to my bedroom; grandeur, my original Italian curtains fall against the walls and while the four post double king size frame is ancient with a large match set of furniture, the mattress along with some touches to the room are new.

I need fresh blood, to kill. Frozen blood only holds nourishment. When blood flows warm, it holds a potent coat that awakens every nerve at once, and the thrum of their emotions begin to edge away at every ache that accompanies a beat within my heart.

As I feel a heartbeat flutter from downstairs, I feel it approach; easy, weak and yet full of life. Thirst turns to rage, I don't think, I move. My vision is a constant claustrophobia, and yet I see through it all to what is warmth, the life of the blood that walks up to my doorstep.

I don't know who it is, I don't care. I need to feed, more than once; I need to feel alive.

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Prologue Revere, END.


	3. Love, Loss & Lust

_Please be aware that I do not own the rights to any character, or presented plotline that pertains to the Vampire Diaries. In no way am I at this time affiliated with the CW Network, LLC, its affiliates, employees, or producers of the show. This story is written with respect in mind to L.J Smith, and the current script writers of the Vampire Diaries. (7 USC § 107)3_

_ I ask for your respect and a courtesy of acknowledgement if my work inspires you. _

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The Vampire Diaries: Breaking Dawn: The Arrival

**Chapter 2: Love, Loss, & Lust**

_Dear Diary, September 09, 2010. _

_For over a century I have lived in secret, hiding in the shadows, alone in the world, until now. I shouldn't have come home, I know the risk, but I had no choice, I have to know her…_

_145 years, for that long I have been without my family and any ties until now to humanity itself. Any chance of happiness lies in her, Elena Gilbert who has given me a reason to come into the light. While I cannot deny that her descent is close by half to someone who was once dear to me, there is something more within her that has awoken emotions, memories I have yet to feel in over a decade. _

_145 years ago, my naivety cost forty-two Coven family members lives and thirty-one casualties. Humans, Vampires, Druids, and those I knew died from my mistake to trust a human who was a Witch. She led me to believe that she wanted to join our Coven for peace, and in the end she sought to kill us all. _

_Those that were not killed were gathered in a Church, and they were all burned alive until dead. I remember how the air became a prison, and their struggles to escape as clearly as if it was yesterday. To everyone who survived that night, to Damon especially it will always feel that way to them. _

_This morning, I felt my brother's presence; it was a pulse through me, a sense within my mind and then within his room his scent was fresh with a taint of human blood from his most recent meal. _

_I know Damon is here, the question is why?_

_I swear if it is for Elena than I will protect her with my life. Damon can kill me and burn me alive as penance for what we, he lost in his love that night as long as it is not Elena who suffers for my past. _

_Elena Gilbert is not Katherine; while Katherine was ice, Elena is fire with a will to survive. Months ago when I saved her life I was not sure if she would survive the loss of her parents; although each day is a struggle, Elena visits her parent's graves, and she accepts mortality for what it is._

_Elena still strives to come back from her losses, and she has never been weak or inexperienced in all this world has to offer. Elena has lived. Elena will continue to live for everyone she loves in her life. _

_I want to live. I want something to live for, a reason to exist. _

_Stefan Salvatore. _

Stefan has no idea what it means to succumb, to live and thrive within the shadows of the night. The closet Stefan has come to the darkness is in his depression, and his deadly suppression of his instincts that is the cause to his countless murders where he would rip people to shreds for the thrill of the kill.

Upstairs there is a file cabinet of the newspaper headlines from the 20th Century about him, when he was in the nicest way I can think to say it fucking, literally crazy; if that was him in secret then I wonder what now is? Will he be the Saint I once knew him as or the Ripper whom I have yet to meet?

I miss the earlier additions of the Stefan Diaries.

Everything he writes now seems so repetitive, obsessive, and unoriginal…like all Vampires.

Stefan is right and wrong about me, as always. I am not here for a family reunion. The less we see of each other the easier this will be for me to keep myself indifferent as always to his trivial existence. However, it would be nice of me to help him make his diary a little more, realistic to his internal struggle.

Me as the antagonist while he plays the misunderstood martyr would be a fun distraction for me. Usually I waste what engorges me through the daylight, and I need to vent some of my frustrations aside from with manual labor for the sake of K, Catherine's freedom.

Since I can only unbury the tomb at night, before I rebury it shallow before dawn there are only so many things to do, and yet I hesitate.

As the sunlight stream through the kitchen window, it makes me hesitate. Even though this ring, my protection keeps me safe it doesn't mean the sun will not bother me; I don't hate wearing the sunglasses, black layers, and the leather jacket for additional protection in the middle of September but after last night when I bit into a council member I cannot afford to be seen just yet.

Taking a bite into my apple, I let the ripe juices flood down my mouth to ease the taste of vervain. Humans, the Founders in this town want me to starve to death; it is bad enough their blood taste dull without the herb in their veins, but with it, it makes it impossible to find a warm meal over legal age.

"Seriously, the Sheriff will be here _again_, any minute!" Ah, Zack.

I don't even look at him as I toss him my bitten apple, now I will not move just to prove to this nuisance how much he is one to me on a daily basis. I choose to look through Stefan's diary as if I am interested while he stares at me in silence; if looks could kill, he would be dead.

"You're wet, in a towel; I thought it was important to be discreet?" Zack questions, and as I look him up once in a middle-aged tragedy of traditional America, I do not like his attitude this morning.

"It is, pretend I am dead, not here." I warn him as I hear a car approach.

Seconds before the doorbell rings, I leave; it takes me seconds to be in my haven, my room. Familiar heartbeats flutter to tease me, but I know there tainted to me now; they inject it in their veins, just another thing to deal with later because of Zack. For now I should rest my body, my mind can do enough to stimulate my sudden desire to find Elena, and to know more about this girl _who has lived_.

Locking all the doors, I close off the sunlight; the darkness is not what bothers me, it is the chill. Once Stefan knows I am here, I'll light the fireplace. After all this time, I still miss some aspects of a Coven lifestyle compared to now as everyone is for themselves; there was always someone there for me.

Setting his diary down, all I really wanted to know was if he was sane; it seems he is, Stefan sane. Letting the towel fall before I slip under my sheets, my own scent welcomes me home. I force myself to be still and then relax with deep breaths until I begin to disconnect; with my eyes closed, I still see everything around me at once. To save my strength, I need to find a Raven to compel.

Cemetery, against a tombstone; my body spasms, and as my eyes open to dilate I see only through the Raven's own eyes as it does not fight me when I overtake him. Without any pain, I feel the sunlight wash over me and my heartbeat become steady as I readjust.

Animal blood gags my throat. I am blind, the cataracts diminish my vision; my own senses, along with the bird's own will have to make up for the loss. I test my limbs, they are weaker than I want but as I allow myself to fall they carry me well enough against the light winds. Weightlessly, it is familiar enough to me that the skies seem natural as I catch each current.

It's easier to find her through Stefan, even though Elena's blood is succulent, richer than chocolate no human's blood is distinct enough to find this blind; Stefan's blood, a cinnamon maple is bitter from his diet and yet I know it well enough to find him on her clothes. It's safer if he marks her for other Vampire's to know she is taken and to track her if something were to happen.

I have to be careful; she has the floral blood of a Benet Witch with her…

"Damon?" I hear Zack; his voice is distant as he knocks against my door.

A limb begins to cave, arthritic or hit by something earlier so it cannot take the wind change or keep up with the speed of the car. Each bone grinds against one another, it throbs, my muscles are frozen. Even as my other wing strains to support me, it is not enough…

"Damon! Are you alright?!" I hear you Zack, shut the hell up.

I cannot pull myself away in time, broken, the whole weaker half of me breaks against a windshield; shocks tremor, and as my head cracks against the glass I choke on the blood that bleeds from within me before I pull away. My screams, my pitch is too high for a human to hear.

"Go away Zack!" I just want him to stop, to stop yelling over me and hitting my door.

Pain, it begins to fade as I let myself relax; deep breaths, one, two, and three… six hundred…

I am okay. I have to move. I have to feed, and breathe.

Near catatonic, I force my right arm to move to lift myself up; my blood coats my fingernails and I should have known better than to give so much of myself to the Raven. Stefan, he will be home soon. Moving quickly, I change into all black, and shrug on my leather jacket as I search for my sunglasses.

My room is massive, but my vision makes it seem so small; where, Stefan…

He must have taken them this morning while I was gone. Stefan can keep them. As I walk out into the hallway I have to get the hell of out here fast, but not before I go back and return his diary. I still feel Katherine's within my jacket, so I know her thoughts are safe with me, as always.

Already with each step towards the attic I can feel the sunlight, see and know the burn of the heat that radiates off the walls despite the windows we use to keep the rays away from us. This room wouldn't be where we hide what hurts us without the sunlight to keep at least me away, as often as I can avoid it.

Stefan's diaries align the walls, and this room has seen as much abuse from Stefan as his victims. All these torn papers, broken things, thrown diaries, and aside from the bloodstains it is obvious that Stefan's favorite thing to do for fun has not changed since he was seven. I hold my breath so I do not gag myself on the scent of rabbit. Someone needs to remind him not to eat varmint in the house.

Setting down his diary on the desk, I close my eyes before I open the window to imprison myself outside. Even though the sunlight is not unbearable, I keep to the shadows within the trees. Alone, I feel cold; I need to be by Katherine, the tomb first, and then I will find blood that scalds me.

As I begin to run, I savor how distance is nothing to me now. I pass these trees more easily than a single step when I was human, I feel free, and I test myself with near misses against each obstacle as I allow my veins to protrude, to not wear this mask of humanity as I smell hearts quiver.

Elena. I feel her at the cemetery. This time, I won't leave anything to chance; I begin to allow my own body to break apart into dust. It is the hardest, the strangest sensation but it is only with enough age can we allow ourselves to desiccate from within to regenerate into another form.

Dust in the wind, is what a Vampire is; when we let ourselves to feel our age, unravel our past that flows too quickly before our eyes we can allow ourselves to become a mere ash as if the sunlight that tinges my skin could burn me. This time though, I only allow my hand to leave me; I watch as my skin burns away until each part of my hand unravels to become mere dust as the bones begin to reshape.

In two places, I command my body to form that of a solid Raven as my bones begin to stretch to shape the contours of the bird. My muscle covers the bones as my blood floods it, and my senses become two while my own cells regenerate to form a Raven's skin; I have to practice, until I am numb to the pain.

As I hide in the shadows, my other self-soars only to perch against a tombstone; I catch my breath as my voice caws against the winds, and as I face Elena I feel my lust, my hunger wrench my body. Beautiful, her hair is long silken strands of the same chocolate color of her wide eyes that stare at me; warm, her aesthetic features contrast Katherine's as her sinful body stretches.

"…" I can't hear her voice, not over the sound of her blood that pumps in fear of me.

There is a way about her bone structure that holds an uncanny resemblance to Katherine's. Aesthetics, what is dominant in their descent is what separates them; while Katherine's held German-French, Elena's is more Bulgarian although I can see the subtleties of other descents within her as well.

While Elena is warm, Catherine is a chill; Elena's hair is warmer against the sun in the same tone as her eyes that are a wide welcome of youth, while Catherine's hair has always been flaxen to the sun and her eyes were more of a wide kitten in a deep blue with an offset, distant expression most days.

Elena's physique is healthy, taller, tan and more athletic while Catherine was smaller in a pale tone without the obvious strength to her form. That softness of Catherine's body, the heaviness of her breasts and the curve of her kittenish lithe in its constant loss in nourishment is still better than Elena's.

As the air changes, I allow the heat of my body to immigrate within the air for the mist to form. My own pulse quickens with hers, and I sense before I hear my brother growl nearby to warn me off. Whether he knows it is me or not, she is about to run into his arms; I will continue this game for them.

Once Katherine returns, Elena will be the perfect asset to keep him away from her.

It is faint, but as I draw myself back together I know she cut herself to escape me; I feel her heart thrum at every fall her body takes to run, and as the mist thickens I watch my brother to test his resolve. Does my brother control his bloodlust, or does it still control him?

Taller than me, thicker now too it amazes me how as a human he was this feeble thing and yet now he is, well still a feeble thing on the inside. Tension wracks against his tan skin and as his square jaw locks I smile as his bambi green eyes fill with confusion, indecision.

It's better off this way, for Stefan to be debilitated with indecision; I never want to think about the past when Stefan made his own choices, and took advantage of history's wars in the 20th century to kill thousands in ways I would never…consider.

I close my eyes, and breathe…

"Are you okay?" Stefan's voice whispers, he went to her.

I block out everything else, I need to hear the humanity in his tone; I need to know he has control.

"Were you following me?" Elena gasps, and her voice is full of youth, easier to hear.

"No. I just, I just saw you fall." No Stefan, remember to keep the guilt out of your voice, every single part of that sentence screams with guilt.

"Uh huh, and you just happened to be hanging out in a cemetery." Elena demands, and Stefan needs a feisty little thing like that to give him some life after a lifetime of, being Stefan.

"I'm visiting; I have um, family here." His voice softens, and I know that he means he meant to pass through this graveyard to see Katherine, where he believes she died.

"Oh. Wow. Tactless, I'm sorry, it's the fog, and it's making me foggy. And then back there, there was this, this bird and it was all very Hitchcock for a second. That is the bird movie right, Hitchcock..."

Cute. Oh, she is perfect; for the first time, with my help Stefan has found someone who needs love as much as he always has. The night her parents died, before the accident when I spoke to her she was this broken lonely soul of indecision; all I knew was, she needed so much that Stefan would give.

"I'm Elena." She says, and I can feel her blood rise from embarrassment.

"I'm Stefan." Stefan, you're too polite.

I hope he smiled, otherwise she will think he's either too serious or that he's a vampire.

"I know. We have history together." Elena says, and I hope they have forever more of it.

"And English and French." He says, and I am so happy his heartbeat is near cardiac arrest.

"Right, thanks." She sighs, and thankfully she is not a girl that plays hard to get.

"Nice ring." She states this, and I wonder if she is trying to tell him she knows what he is…

"Oh, it's a family heirloom; kind of stupid..." Stefan, screw you; that ring is, was Katherine's.

"No it's just most rings are…" Elena tries to recover, and I realize that she does not know about us but just wanted to know more about him.

"Did you hurt yourself?" He asks, and I know I can take him down before he even touches her.

"Oh, um, I don't know." …no self-awareness, whatsoever.

I would think that if I was human, and hit every damn obstacle in a graveyard in a panic attack before I fell down a hillside that I would feel that something was wrong with me.

"Oh would you look at that that is not pretty." Elena, don't tempt a Ripper.

"You should go, take care of that." I feel the hunger in his voice, I can sympathize.

"Really it's nothing…" Yes it is Elena, and now Bambi has left the state.

As I allow my eyes to open, the darkness of the mist still clouds the sunlight. Stefan, I am not sure whether he has made any progress; I always knew animal blood was a first step to control for him, but I thought that he would have realized by now that it is not the last step.

It is none of my business. Stefan is not why I am here. All I need to do is run, and let my tension release until I fall against the damp grass that covers the grounds of the old Church. Although it looks undisturbed, I know the cavern is hollow below me; it is almost uncovered.

Her diary has been with me for so long, I know every word; I know the next line, the next page because it is all I have left to remind me that Katherine loves me, and that we will be together again. Soon, when she awakens will she still love me once she realizes I have changed?

I love her, each hour of everyday; regardless of my choices, they have nothing to do with her.

_~Open a single page from the bindings of an old diary ~_

_Dear Diary,_

_ Before Dawn, before the time came for me to die my Love awoke to save me from the sunlight; beneath the white oak tree he brought me back to life with a taste of his blood in a mixture with our tears. We are in love, and I feel we are bound by our souls together. _

_ From now, until the end of my existence I will write to see when, if my heart begins to change. Until then, I force myself to lie upon his chest and hold onto my only hope for an eternity of darkness. Someday, he will read this and know that once, if not always that I love him, even as a Vampire…._

_~and onto the next page~_

_A new night, the first day slept away; the curtains are drawn shut, there is no sunlight. _

_Musk, in a heated caramel truffle; my first breath was of my love. _

_The feel, the contours to his forms every shift was a newfound pleasure. With only his arms around me in a simple hold of protection, as I am now it felt as if he was everywhere on me at once. Flushing skin, bedding hair, and his striking face left me hungering for him in every way I know. _

_To see his unshaven jaw in a lock, the hollow to his cheeks, soft lips and then his predatory blue eyes with countless lashes that were in a fall for me is an expression I will never tire from. _

_As my fingers began to brush through his raven tangled hair, I felt his pulse redirect through his body to build against his abdomen. His touch was gentle as he led me to his neck, and his Italian whispers in prayers or praise was enough to lull me into him. _

_I bit. I remember how I cried, my jaw felt torn as my own fangs came, and my mouth felt raw as it began to fill with a sting of venom. His blood called for me, and I knew his every being as he begged for me to continue to drink for my own strength. _

_Dirtier, and yet more succulent then a truffle I felt him slip down my throat. I felt my breath ease, and all I know is I came to life. I am ashamed to admit how my body began to respond, it began to move against his faster than his own moved against mine. Scalding, anguishing pain and yet not began flooding my senses as I heard his voice as I never had before. _

_A deep whisper, a low praise of my name fell from his lips._

_Already, I have changed. Nothing will soothe what I might become, nothing. _

- _Catherine Nicolette von Schwarzschild. _

_~Closing the diary entry of Catherine~_

I remember everything; one of the many bittersweet aspects of being a Vampire is that I never forget anything. Compared to these times now what happened then was innocent. Even as my blood rushes, I tilt my head back against the ground as I remember the first time I let myself be vulnerable. When she drank from me the first time it was sad. I was so in love, lost when I awoke without her body that should have been cold and dead by my side that when I saw her, I thought she was an angel.

And then, I thought that somehow I must have died as well. I thought I was in heaven; I had always teased her to show me she loved me, and after all those times I told her to bite me I was sure when she did that in that moment I was in-between Earth, Heaven, and a little bit of Hell from the pain of it.

That second time I gave myself to her, I let myself be still as she took everything from me; after months of watching an illness take her blood, her life away, I was desperate to give her my blood, my life. The reason Katherine was not like Stefan or I when we became reborn is because she was meant to die. When she became a Vampire, she did not change; her new life only gave her a chance to show me love, to give me more now that we had forever it seemed like then together rather than months before her death.

"I miss you…" I breathe, and even as the human's begin to arrive nearby I can't bring myself to move away from this place as I reach for Katherine, and hope she is still alive.

_~a haze of memories passes over Damon for some time~_

I awaken from the music, and from the taste of a heartbeat in an arousal under the influence of illegal drugs beneath the alcohol that is near a poisonous level within the blood. I only hesitate for a moment before I move, and I go to her.

She barely struggles, and her scream is faint even to my ears as I bite into her neck. I taste her fear, her frustration, and hate for herself in a succulent mix. Substances tang against her blood in this girl's own personal brand that is, the best blood I have tasted in this century.

My body hardens, and I feel myself press into her as I swallow her. I have to let her go. Even though her blood quakes me, her warmth smothers me, I cannot lie to myself that she matters to me. Replacing my love is the one thing I try not to do, and right now all I want is for her to be Katherine.

Stefan knows I am here. I feel his steps quicken as he dares to come towards me. This had to happen eventually. Before he catches me I tear my whole arm apart, and I let it fade to dust as I separate myself to keep him close yet far away from me until I calm down.

We will go home; we do not communicate well in public places.

Right now I taste his fear, and I relish in how much control I have over his state of mind now. Since I am faster than him, I have enough time to hide myself in the trees as he chases my Raven onto the balcony and into the house. I watch his confusion as he searches for me in the trees in amusement.

It occurs to me now that I should have made that girl's body a victim of an animal attack, not an obvious survivor of a Vampire's feed. With the Founder's Council still active, it is ironic that this time it is me who has made them aware of us. Unlike Stefan though, I will take care of my mistakes.

Stefan opens his balcony doors to welcome me in, and I know he has been desperate not to see me as much as it is to know that I forgive him.

"Damon." Stefan breathes, and for that I soar towards him from two places at once.

While he watches my Raven, I ease myself quietly onto the balcony.

"Hello, brother." I say, as hollow as my voice can be.

"Crows a bit much, don't you think?" He asks, and I know it is a tease but the fear in his voice as he watches my fingers reform from the Raven ruins his affect.

"You should see what I can do with the fog." I tease, and mine actually holds.

"You've been here. I should have known." He admits.

"I know…" "Damon, I know why you're here." Stefan, don't start…

"Don't. Now, it has been a while, fifteen years for me anyways; your diaries seem repetitive, but at least you've kept what little control you have in check. You seem happier now." I smile, and wait for him to process this.

I have to put him in his place; I have to remind him why he is here.

"Stefan, I know you; I know why you came back here. What I also know is that you're still here, congratulations on your first day of high school by the way, for a completely different reason now. Whatever happens, I want you to remember that you are here, for only Elena." I state, as easy as facts.

I feel him hyperventilate, I track him and it only makes me step closer while he fails to be still. He barely subdues the urge to run, and even though my brother is never my prey, I am always a predator.

I see his face change; his veins become exposed, and around his eyes they engorge as blood overtakes him as his irises expand. As his arms reach out for me, I let him throw me if only to give me more time to process why if I have the control in this he still scares me.

Mixed signals, his eyes were on the wall and not the glass doors I should have never closed. Shards break my skin, and even though they heal he knows how I feel about glass. To this day I still remember the first time I went through a window when I was human, and almost died then. I nearly tore my scalp apart, desperate to get the glass out of my hair and to get the huge shards out of my forearm.

My skin heals before I hit the ground. My bones only shift, they do not even break as I play dead. Stefan turns away from me too easily, without any hesitation. I move myself to the front door and through the house until he has to see me again as I stand in front of him, more annoyed than I was before. There is only one way to show that this time I will not put up with his attitude, or betrayal.

Against the wall, I lock him there before I bite into his neck; I hear his scream, and I can barely breathe with his blood in my mouth. Stefan's is tainted from his diet, but it is still better than a human's. Everything Stefan lives for, his true blood of rich maple cinnamon beneath his diet begs me to stop.

I get nothing from this, I take a pint if that before I retract my fangs; I have to hold him as he caves beneath me, and we both know that I have the control. When I see his neck, the clean bite refuses to heal even though I never injected my venom; I forgot, no, I didn't realize how truly weak he is.

I have to protect him; it comes to me as simple as that. Stefan is my brother, not a threat this time. He is here for Elena, not Katherine. He needs my blood, and if I use complete restraint he will only take the nourishment without any attachment to me. With my blood, he will feel more alive than he has in years. Any human blood has been taken by my own, so this should not offset his hunger or his, diet.

I roll up my sleeve as he clings to my side; I hiss as my fangs puncture my wrist, and while he resists me we both know if he wants to live, to protect Elena, than he will drink from me, eventually.

_~time passes over from a terrible incident~_

I feel normal, repetitive and safe again within Mystic Falls Grill.

So much life moves around me, and each inhale intoxicates me more than my bourbon does. Another swallow, only lifts the edge of my guilt a little more. Stefan did not want to swallow my blood. Respecting his decision would have meant leaving him to decay on the floor. I snapped his neck before I fed him my blood; he woke up midway, tried to eat me and I feel sick about.

He can have my blood, but I made sure to choke up all of his; I would never take life from him, abuse him in a complete fang rape, and I made sure he knew that as he almost did it to me. He needs help. I should not have left him there, but I have faith, hope in my brother that he will bite, kill Zack for me.

There are so many eyes on me, and yet usually I am alone. I can have anyone I want here. Sometimes it would be nice to have someone who wants me, who knows and accepts me as I drain them. Not far from me, I see my next victim; pretty, slender, blonde, full of life even though she is too young.

I will not need sex; by the time I am threw with her, her body will be so full of desire that her only relief will be when I bite into her neck to drink her in. I have some, if not all my morals up to code.

Every single time, all it takes is one look, and as soon as she smiles, I know that she is mine.

* * *

Chapter Two, Love, Loss & Lust: END.


	4. The Night of the Comet

_Please be aware that I do not own the rights to any character, or presented plotline that pertains to the Vampire Diaries. In no way am I at this time affiliated with the CW Network, LLC, its affiliates, employees, or producers of the show. This story is written with respect in mind to L.J Smith, and the current script writers of the Vampire Diaries. (7 USC § 107)3_

_I ask for your respect and a courtesy of acknowledgement if my work inspires you._

* * *

**Chapter 3: The Night of the Comet**

Southern air in its humid phase clings itself to me; my veins have already begun to convulse in a chaff against my skin while my breaths becomes shallow and my senses narrow onto my set of easy prey. As this Comet comes closer as does what comes with it; a history of bloodshed will repeat itself soon.

After 145 years of waiting for this Comet to cross these skies, the time is here for first my love's freedom and then for our revenge for her imprisonment. Generations after generation of these humans have set the path of intolerance for Vampires, and as long as they live there will be no peace for those of us who were the Original Founders who made this town out of the idea of hope for coexistence.

My prey, one of them has left the confines of their tent and that will be the one I kill first.

"…H…" Help, his last breath would have been a cry for mercy.

I feel nothing, not even the satisfaction of this kill; this is for us, to protect the ones I need. Broken, his whole neck shatters as I bite through his weak jugular; he holds little nourishment for me. Everyone is my enemy, and without these murders I will not have the power I need to survive my plans.

Better blood, I sense her come to me in search of this, cheap aftertaste that I choke to keep down. I know from experience to use my first kill as a pawn, a trap within the trees to enhance the chase. Taking his keys, I begin slashing his blood to pour below us in a waste; her blood is what I need more.

"I knew it, I told you it was going to rain!" She screams this as if it matters.

Finally, her heart begins to arrest as I avoid her flashlight within another tree; she has seen him, and now as she runs that blood of hers will course with adrenaline that will be a pleasure to swallow. Even though this is necessary, it does not mean that I hate this; I enjoy the control of each hunt.

My prey runs faster than most. Without a falter to her step she skids against the damp grounds while I follow her with interest.

"Open! No! Please!" She cannot even open the car door, her own emotions debilitate her.

That heartbeat of hers is ready to die; it is on the edge of an arrest as its strength wavers on her. Only I can allow the doors to unlock, and once she hears the click of the keys I know as she turns to face me that she must know she is about to die. She wants to die; no one would want to survive this.

I count the seconds until I kill her; one, two, three, four…

Out of mercy for her, I snap her neck at seven; my fangs pierce within her neck, and as I hold her body without a tremor I force myself to suction the still of her lifeless blood from her veins. Warmth circulation overtakes the numbness of my limbs, my breaths become easy, and I refuse to waste her blood.

A pulse, a hitch of a breath and a lapse in control tells me that someone is out here watching me. Stefan is by all means a saint; he hopes his mere presence will save me from myself. For over a century Stefan has been suppressive, tired, and in a constant state of regret of what he has, and I have done.

What I have done is what comes naturally to me because I am a murderer, predator, a Vampire.

_~Later on hours have come to pass of reflection over what has happened~_

_ Dear Diary, _

_ I never imagined my life would still be my own. _

_ Noises, Smells, Touch, Taste, Thought, and my Feelings have increased in their meaning. Perhaps I was wrong to believe Vampirism would change me, perhaps all it is a reawakening into life. _

_ I must be careful; Giuseppe, he has given me a threat that I will heed. _

_ Although I always thought that he was a Vampire, I know now that he is one and that he will protect his sons at any cost; if they are hurt, then I will die if not by his hands than my own. In my experience, from the touch of my love's scars I would rather my death be my own. _

_ Only Damon is to know what I have become, and Stefan is to never know about any of this. Giuseppe will allow for Damon to make his choice on my Vampirism, and I am unsure of whether after he learns from his Father's journals in the library what a Vampire is capable of if he will still love me. _

_ I could hurt, kill someone; who my first victim might be will be the death of me. _

- _Catherine Nicolette von Pierce_

__

Dear Diary, 

_ Another nightmare, another lie; this nightmare was different because I cannot remember it. Whatever torment I was in kept me unconscious for days, and in that time everything has fallen apart. _

_ Damon has broken many antiques, and anything to vent his fear that I would never wake again. Giuseppe in turn fought with Damon, and he has broken his hand so that he cannot break anymore items. Damon in response left; he left in the dead of night without a word to anyone about when he might return. _

_ According to Stefan's diary I have to prepare myself for a long wait before he returns to us again. Before me Damon was and now according to everyone is a shallow soul, a child without compassion. Stefan blames his Father's former abuse towards them because of the loss of their mother for everything. _

_ According to Stefan himself, I have to accept that love is not enough to save someone like him, us. _

- _Catherine Nicolette von Pierce _

I was worse than shallow before her; I was a hollow aristocratic whore with abandonment, masochistic, and every other issue except for a Stefan issue, which came after she arrived into my life. Abandoned by my Mother, changed by Father's constant for a while abuse and all while left with a premature ill Brother to protect from it all has everything to do with the worst, hollow aspects of me.

In some ways we are one in the same; we have a past before us that time will never change, and we are generous in what we give while we are also manipulative in what we expect from anyone in return. Together, we were imperfect as humans and we are insatiably, irrevocably in love as Vampires.

"Stefan? Stefan?" She should know unannounced arrivals have their consequences.

Elena is here; Stefan is not here. Does she not know better than to come into someone's house without an invitation? It would be rude of me not introduce myself to her. I will have to shut Catherine away within my nightstand for now in case Stefan comes home and sees me with it.

I want Elena to know who we are; I deteriorate my hand to form another raven to sweep around the house and into her in hopes that she will remember me from the graveyard. I see her first through the Raven as her eyes widen in fear while her breath catches in her throat to hush her scream.

She has come closer to me than I thought she would, and her pulse teases me to hasten her death. Elena is unusually calm considering everything she has been through lately.

"I'm sorry for barging in, the door was, open." She says this, and yet it is shut now.

"You must be Elena. I'm Damon, Stefan's brother." I introduce myself to her, and her heart quickens as if she remembers me.

"Stefan didn't tell me he had a brother." She says this in need of answers.

"I believe he said, 'he has no family that he talks to', which was true until recently Miss Gilbert. Please come in; I'm sure Stefan will be here any second now." I promise her, and she seems nervous.

It is the authority in my tone, the age difference between us shows itself in every way that it should to keep her in her place. I need her to fear me, think of me and to use her time left to help us use her as another piece of leverage against the Council.

She follows me as she should, and she will be whoever she needs to be for as long as it suits me. She misses how my hand reforms as humans miss everything they do not really want to see, or believe.

"Wow. This is your living room…" If this is all it takes to amaze her, then that is actually cute.

"Living room, parlor, seventies auction; it's a little kitschy for my taste." I prefer an earlier era.

"I see why Stefan is so smitten with you; have a seat, I'll only be a moment." I tell her before she does as I ask her with only a little hesitance.

I pace myself to the kitchen, and then I move as quickly as I can to prepare crackers, cheese slices, salami, grapes, caviar, and three drinks all on one tray to be the perfect host. Humans need to eat. As I come back into the room tray in hand, she looks insecure and uncertain if she belongs here.

When I set the tray in front of her she gapes at it, and then at me as if this is the most surreal moment of her life. Unsure if she can handle the wine, I set the coke closer to her instead; she doesn't speak, so I am not sure whether she is having a realization that we are Vampire's or if it is just me.

"Do you do this for everyone?" She asks.

"Why, yes Elena I do." I have to keep myself sympathetic to her, confusion.

"If you hurt her…" Stefan is home, finally.

"I'll be right back." If he wants to threaten me, then he should say it to my face.

I have to pace myself halfway to the stairs, and then as soon as she turns away from me I move up into the hallway where I shove Stefan into the wall before he tries to do the same to me.

"Stefan, Elena's here…" I say politely, as if I do not have him by his neck.

"If you…" If Elena were not here, I would let him finish his little speech.

"If you don't get your ass downstairs, and be happy she is going to think you have issues. Stefan, do you want her to know you have issues, especially with me?" I challenge, and even though family issues are very normal, I know Stefan wants to be perfect.

"Oh, god, it's disgusting…" Elena chokes.

"Stefan, take notes, she hates caviar." I muse, and all he does is glare in resentment.

I let him go first, and then follow him back down to Elena. I have never seen Stefan so happy; there is almost a smile there as he sees her nibble a cracker, and nearly her finger.

"Elena. I didn't know you were coming over." Stefan now would be the time to be polite.

"I know. I should have called it's just..." the poor girl.

"Elena, you are welcome any time; isn't she Stefan?" I ask him.

"Yes, I'm sorry; it's just…" Stefan, let her stay; I do not tend to kill seventeen and under.

"Elena. I lied to you earlier; I mean I didn't tell you that Stefan is sick. Actually, he has a fever and he is supposed to be in bed but he just won't listen to me. Maybe he'll listen to you…"

"It's not…" Shut up Stefan.

"Stefan, it was serious enough for me to have to drive you to the emergency room this morning. You are dehydrated, anemic, and your exhaustion has given you an onset fever." I reprimand him, and even he cannot deny how those beautiful eyes of hers are now full of sympathy, a need to nurture him.

When she stands up, and goes to him it takes years of restraint to keep a serious disposition as she feels his forehead for a fever. Her eyes widen, and I know it is because he is cold, too cold to be natural.

"Stefan. Let me help you." She pleads with him, and I see his whole body cave in defeat.

"Elena, stay for dinner; he needs someone to take care of him." I play on her needs with ease.

Before either of them can argue with me I leave for the kitchen to figure out we have to make on hand that is less caviar and more in today's culture.

"Well Stefan, you heard him…" Elena is so human.

I wonder how much of a change she will have on Stefan before her life is over because of me.

_~time passes over, Stefan and Elena keep to themselves while Damon passes the time alone~_

"I told you I needed a break. Zack, I gave you a thousand dollars for a few days off; do not even try to come back here tonight, or I will kill you." I forewarn him before I hang up.

Cradling the phone to my ear while I wash the dishes, I sigh as I try not to hear Stefan and Elena upstairs about ready to have sex on his bed. Elena may not know better, but Stefan should.

Wincing, as my phone rings I set the last dish away before I press answer on the touch screen. Zack is the only man I know who would complain about a thousand dollar resort stay, far, far away from me and all I hold dear in life so I do not kill him.

"Zack, listen to me; you've already condemned yourself to…" I gave him a chance to live.

"Damon, this is Rebekah." Oh for the love of, how is she still alive?

"I want to see him." Her accent annoys me.

End call; now. Stefan brings the worst people into our lives sometimes from his Ripper Days. Every last girlfriend or other needs to stay away from here because the Comet will be here soon enough, and the last thing I need is another Vampire, someone like Rebekah to intervene with my plans.

As she calls again, I wish she would move on; Chicago, the roaring twenties are over.

"Rebekah; Stefan suppresses any recollection of you, he hates you. Whatever happened between you two was over the second you walked out on him. You cannot just wake up one day after a century of time passes and keep harassing someone who has never met you. Do not call me, him or bother us again." I want to hear her say she understands this.

Something about her story does not make sense; if she loves Stefan, then where has she been all these years and why does she only talk to me instead of Stefan? When I hear the call disconnect, I only look at the screen in annoyance as I fail to process the minds of another crazy stalker in our lives.

"I just um, came down to go get my phone from my…" Elena, how much did she hear?

"Elena, let me explain..." And she runs for it.

It amazes me how stupid teenagers can be; they don't think they only imagine the worst possible scenario until that is what reality is. If I were to chase her to her car, she would become a victim to me.

"Damon is Elena…" Stefan I will find out what is wrong with her.

"Stefan, it is not me; stay in the house, and answer this for me." I throw him my phone before I leave to allow the sunlight to simmer against my skin.

If I have to save her then I will; Elena needs to live for Stefan's sake, and die on my terms. Blinding light forces me to close my eyes, and while I am blind it is not hard to find Elena's warm body. She is upset; is it because she can taste the blood of a dead bird as well as I can?

"Elena." Stefan I told him to stay inside.

"Stefan! There is a bird, and it's dead…!" Where is it?

I never felt Rebekah's presence; she is older than me, and she must be stronger than I am as well. I will still kill her for this, and when I do I will make sure to rip whatever protects her from the sunlight off her body in a way that makes it seem as if she chose to die.

"Damon, where is he going?" Elena, I am going to save you before someone kills you before I do.

__

~the hunt begins for Rebekah~

Every abandoned house, every mile of Mystic Falls has been searched; I have yet to sleep or answer Stefan's thirty-two voicemails because I know wherever Rebekah is, she is close and ready to continue this game of hers. Torn in three, she leads me with the blood of human's and blackbirds while she keeps herself just far enough from me that I cannot see her.

This has to be because of Elena; sometimes seeing someone you love move on, it is enough to make a Vampire especially lose their minds while they act as if consequences no longer apply to them. Now Rebekah might kill Stefan out of spite, unless I kill her first.

The first Comet night is tonight though, and all I can worry about now is keeping my brother safe. More nights will come before the Comet leaves us, and in one of those nights I will reopen the tomb.

I look down on the lake's waters from the skies, forest floors, and as my hand clutches against a pine branch at Mystic Falls' perimeter I lurch forward at the smell of a fresh kill. Wasteful, blood litters against the grass in a clearway as four bodies throats are slit, and even their hearts are gone from them.

I force myself into the dying sunlight. Even as I draw myself back together, I know I went too far. Out of breath, I have to leave apart of myself in the woods for additional protection; as the raven begins to form back into my forearm I hold my shoulder together through the agony as it mends back together. Searching above me, I allow my true self to show for my senses to hone in on her in the shadows.

Witch, she's a former witch; her blood lingers of sugar roses still in a connection to nature's hold. My eyes close in on each vein of leaves to find her; she will have to show herself to me, eventually.

"You're sweet Damon, but you're not Stefan." Her voice is lighter, smoother in person.

"We both know Stefan's off lighting a roman candle to celebrate the Comet with his little human, so you'll just have to settle for me." I want her to get upset, to lose focus and show herself to me.

"You shouldn't try to upset me again Damon, otherwise…" She does not have to warn me.

"Otherwise you will continue to expose us; you're kills are all over the news, and this kind of exposure in this town will alert the humans of our return to Mystic Falls." I wonder if she knows of our history with this town, and what its Founders are capable of.

"And I thought Stefan was the dramatic one." Her arms vice around me, and I feel her heart slow.

I finally see her, from behind us I approach in a crawl; there is something familiar about her now. Draped in a lengthy leather jacket, her tight legs slip in-between my own; why do I already feel weak? Her skin is warm from her ethnic, her blond hair falls midway against her back and as her lips brush against my veins her body radiates how well fed she is in comparison to me.

Just before her teeth pierce me, I know it will take over half of my blood to keep me alive. Unnatural to me, I lunge from four legs in the form of wolf; in a partial mass of dust her one moment of shock is all I need to escape, and maybe kill her.

She screams as I struggle to bite her while blood threatens to upheave from my mouth.

Even though I escape her arms, I am still at her mercy; she kicks through my wolf until it returns to me as broken bones with torn muscle; I feel the onslaught of recovery, and my consciousness lessens. She has yet to kill me. She has come towards me. She is, Catherine…

Her stature shortens beneath her black rain coat; her skin pales, hair lightens, body shifts and my every wish to see my Catherine's face has become a nightmare that I refuse to witness. If I see her use Catherine's face to show malice, a hatred for me than I might as well take off my ring now.

"Be still..." Rebekah warns me.

Stefan; there is a reason I made a vow to make his life an eternity of misery.

When she nears me, my fangs tear against her neck before she can stop me; her blood, it gives me the energy I need to keep awake. Her nails tear against my clothes, shred them as my own keep her close to me because her blood is my only chance of survival.

Piercing my spine, she tears within my ribcage for my heart and all I can do is scream against her neck as I reach my hand through her own chest. Pain, shards of unbearable pain wrack me but her blood is strong enough to keep me from any fatality. I feel my venom begin to comatose her heart.

I feel her fangs pierce me, and I hope she dies before her venom counteracts within me.

My body breaks from hers, I feel myself crack backwards against the nearest tree; I have to run. This was never just about Stefan or even me.

"This is about Catherine, it always was." I cannot believe this is about Catherine, and Stefan.

As she snarls, my body hums as her blood floods my veins; I feel myself in mend, and alive. I run as if I am the prey, while I let my whole arm deteriorate without her notice.

I see myself; I feel my blood pulse in unison with hers as we run. When I propel myself into the highway I wait for her to lunge before I decide to kill her. Foreign, my canines break into her abdomen; these teethe are weaker than my own, and even as I bite away at her flesh I never reach her ribcage.

A loss of, an enclosure of everything around me is that one moment she needs to live; my own nails dig against my chest as if my heart will escape me. Each beat seizes me, and I fall into the ground while I bring myself back together before I die. Her venom works faster through the blood it knows best.

"It's nothing personal Damon; you are only sweet collateral damage." Her voice lingers with her touch against my feverous skin.

While she cannot run, she moves a mile in the time it takes me to stand, somewhat anyways. Opening my eyes, the light is not as terrible as it could be in the shade of the trees and at least I know that for now it is over at the expense of only my pride.

The faster I move, the less traumatic this all seems; my limbs lessen in their quivers and the fever within me feels better as my skin forces its way through the evening air. Where should I go?

Two girls come to mind, and while I could take both somehow I know that would be overkill. Who I need is someone who will bring me pleasure, and that will only come from the one with a succulent mixture of drugs, alcohol, self-deprivation and lust all within one previous victim.

_~Only an hour passes by~_

"No, please, stop. Don't…" She has been screaming for too long, my pathetic leverage.

Someone Stefan cares about, someone has to love this girl; Stefan will save her before I kill her. Her concoctive blood is what keeps this pain that lingers from Rebekah's venom away.

"Shh, I got you." I whisper as I release my mouth from her neck.

"No!" Yes.

"Shh, I'm not going to drop you." I will try to wait as long as I can for him.

Finally, Stefan is here; for once his presence is apparent, and I wonder how far my blood has gone within him to keep hold of this newfound strength.

"Not bad, have you been eating bunnies?" I ask him.

"Let her go." His voice is too calm; I want to hear some emotion.

"Really, okay." I will let her go right over the edge of the roof.

"No, no!" That is it, the best he can do for her is this; I should have went for the needy blonde.

The Comet is above us, high in the sky as a key to Catherine's freedom that is no longer meant to be tonight; I have to wait, for even longer now to save her all because of him. I do not want this anymore. I throw her away from me into Stefan; he should take her why he has her before I throw her off the roof.

"What's happening?" She asks a question, one she already knows the answer to.

"I don't have any idea, but he might." I wish Stefan would participate in this.

"What attacked you the other night?" I ask her, and as she looks up at me in exhaustion I know that she is about two minutes away from useless to me.

"I don't know an animal." She needs to think about this before she answers me next time.

"Are you sure about that? Think about it, think really hard; what attacked you?" I ask her again.

It takes her a moment before her eyes meet mine, and even through her tears there is a sudden clarity in her eyes alongside a relief to be able to tell someone the truth about who attacked her.

"A Vampire," The truth hurts Stefan.

"Who did this to you?" Stefan did this to you, he is the only reason you're here.

"You did?" Not really.

"No, you're wrong; Stefan Salvatore did this to you" I whisper.

"Damon, don't do this; why are you doing this?" His voice holds only disbelief, not fear.

She cannot look to him, she is my prey not his; now I will have to take her back into my arms, and force her to understand what her dense mind cannot comprehend. Turning her to face me, she does not wear fear well; all I need is her eyes to keep focus.

"Stefan Salvatore did this to you." I believe this, and now so will see.

"Stefan Salvatore did this to me." She answers back.

"He's a Vampire, a vicious, murderous monster." I will tell exactly who Stefan thinks we are.

"Please Damon, don't do this." He always starts things I have to finish.

"If you couldn't fix this before, I don't know what you're going to do now." I lie with ease.

I tear the bandage from her neck, and I expose the blood that he needs to drink to fix this for him. I would rather he feed on humans again, rip them apart because at least then he never hurt me. Still to this day, when Stefan was at his worst he never hurt me; he was indifferent then, and so was I.

"You're choice of lifestyle has made you weak, a couple of Vampire parlor tricks; it is nothing compared to the power that you could have. All you need is her blood, and your life will be yours again. You have two choices; you could feed, or let her go screaming Vampire like 1864 all over again…"

"That is what this is about, you want to expose me?" No, I want you to remember who we are.

"Why so I'll feed, so I'll kill, so I will remember what is like to be brother's again?" Not quite.

"You know what let her go, let her tell everyone that Vampires have returned to Mystic Falls. Let them chain me up, and let them drive a stake through my heart because at least then I will be free of you."

Vampires' emotions are manic, if we feel it is never sad but sorrow and hurt is betrayal. Something is wrong with me, my instincts go off impulse, and yet I always hesitate with him.

I could force him to drink, he's weak; all it takes is a drop of human blood, and then he will spiral downwards into a homicidal rampage until then he becomes suicidal, this again. We are an endless cycle.

Only the details change. We fight. He is wrong. I leave. I let it go. I return, or he finds me.

Where did he throw her, where is she; there she is on the ground, in tears and hysterics.

"I'm sorry, it's okay." I tell her as I lift her back up into my arms.

"Listen to me; forget what you have seen, and about Vampires. You took some pills, but you're fine. You got lost, and Stefan found you." It is easier for her to believe that than this.

"What happened? Where am I? Uh, I ripped my stitches open…" she should be thankful for this.

"Are you okay?" Unless he is blind, he should know that she is fine.

"I took some pills, man. I'm good." She will be fine.

Venom, it inflames within each bite against my skin that will take time and blood to fade away.

"Damon, you're hurt; you have a fever…" Hmm, yes Stefan I know that.

For the first time in a long time, I feel tired; I am afraid to fall asleep. My subconscious will have it out for me as soon as I close my eyes, and I know what will hurt me more than anyone knows how.

"Damon, what happened to you?" What always to me Stefan.

"You happened to me." I remind him as I listen for my next prey's heart.

Caroline, she has been waiting for me to find her all day; what I will tell when she asks me as I toy with her mind in a way that makes compulsion seem like a parlor trick is that this is not her fault. Caroline will only be collateral damage for what happens when someone lives for as long as I have.

* * *

Chapter Three, the Night of the Comet: END.


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